Cairns, Fabbri officially return in 9-3 win
The Guelph Storm dropped the Windsor Spitfires 9-3 on Thursday night, as Luke Cairns and Robby Fabbri both recorded hat tricks for five point nights in the win.
Steph Coratti, GuelphStorm.com
Luke Cairns and Robby Fabbri may have already been welcomed back to the Storm fold after being sidelined for long periods of time due to illness and injury respectively.
However, both forwards made their returns very apparent Thursday night in Windsor.
Cairns and Fabbri, each completing hat tricks and adding two helpers for five-point nights, helped lift the Guelph Storm to a 9-3 victory over the Windsor Spitfires.
Former Spitfire Chris Marchese would also register a five-point night in his return to Windsor, pocketing a goal of his own to go along with four assists in the win.
Adding to the strong display, Justin Nichols would be strong between the pipes for the visiting Storm, as the netminder turned aside 33 of 36 shots with a few stops worthy of the highlight reel nod.
The Spitfires came out of the gates quickly to begin the game, getting an early chance just 12 seconds into the opening period. It would be Nichols making a statement, though, handling quick pressure with ease.
Nichols followed up the effort a minute later turning aside Windsor’s Markus Soberg with a big glove save.
Getting into some penalty trouble, the Storm’s Levi Tetrault would take the first of three consecutive first period penalties with a delay of game call. Just over a minute into the penalty kill, Cristiano DiGiacinto would bury a rebound to give Windsor a 1-0 lead as Spitfires collapsed in front of Nichols, scrambling for the puck.
Two minutes later the Spitfires would celebrate another, however, after review the play would be called back with a no-goal call.
The Storm would take over from there.
With less than three minutes remaining in the opening frame, Fabbri would feed Cairns, flying into the Spitfires’ zone off the bench, who remained patient to put one past Windsor netminder Brendan Johnston with a nifty move. The tying marker would be Cairns’ first since returning to the line up last weekend after missing 20 games due to mono.
That wouldn’t be it for the period, though. Despite Noah Carroll getting the Storm’s second delay of game penalty, and third straight call against, Pius Suter and Jason Dickinson would break out for a two-on-one shorthanded. The Storm captain would feed the Storm sophomore for a breakaway, only to be robbed by Johnston’s glove hand. Dickinson would follow up the effort, but would see Johnston’s pad this time as the Spitfires’ netminder kept the game locked at one as the period expired.
Building off the momentum from the first 20 minutes, the Storm would run away with the match-up in the middle frame, scoring six goals through 10:37.
With Guelph native and Spitfires’ captain Patrick Sanvido taking Windsor’s first penalty for hooking at the 6:50 mark of the second, Marchese would put the visiting Storm ahead 2-1 with a power play marker against his former team. Phil Baltisberger would fire one in from the point, only to have the puck bounce off the boards in front where the overage forward would make no mistake for his 16th of the season and eighth with the Storm.
Fabbri would be next, getting his first two goals since returning to the line up after being sidelined with a high ankle sprain suffered at the 2015 World Junior Championships. The St. Louis Blues prospect would start off sneaking in behind the Windsor defencemen with a feed from Cairns. Fabbri, in alone, would showcase his flair for finding the back of the net with a nifty move to put the puck high over Johnston for the 3-1 lead.
58 seconds later, Fabbri would score his 20th of the season with a rocket of a shot, giving the Storm a two-goal advantage on the scoreboard. Cairns, again, would add the helper.
Evidently a very busy period for the Spitfires netminder with 30 shots faced through 30:33 of play, Johnston would be relieved by Alex Fotinos.
Not letting up, Cairns would make it a 5-1 game at the 12:57 mark with a quick backhand past Fotinos next.
Shortly after Guelph’s fifth tally, the teams would get into some chippy play following the whistle with Logan Stanley and Tyler Hill as the main culprits. The Storm would end up with a power play, and Cairns would capitalize to complete the hat trick to make it 6-1 in favour of the visiting squad.
With two minutes remaining in the middle frame, Tyler Bertuzzi would add one with an incredible shot for his 42nd on the season. The goal would be Bertuzzi’s first in the last six games played.
Despite the up-hill climb, the Spitfires came to play for the final 20 minutes. Lucas Venuto would get one back for the home team, scoring his 21st of the season from an off angle to make it 7-2 4:14 into the third.
Nichols would then steal the spotlight, coming up with two unbelievable back-to-back saves, beginning with a dive across the crease to deny Slater Doggett at the 7:29 mark. Immediately following the save, the Storm netminder would be at it again, this time with a huge glove save to prevent the Spitfires from grabbing another.
Johnston, who retook his post between the pipes to start the third period, would continue putting forth a strong display – despite the score. At the 9:12 mark, the Spitfires goaltender would go post-to-post to turn away Cairns and any chance at pocketing his fourth on the game.
Johnston would end the game facing 43 shots, stopping 37 of them in the loss. Fotinos, playing through 9:27 of the second period, would see eight shots, turning aside five.
Before closing out the game, the Storm would add two more tallies to make it nine on the night. Fabbri would complete the hat trick, sprung coming out of the penalty box for his second breakaway of the game, while Dickinson would add one with just under five minutes remaining for his 25th of the season.
To complete the 9-3 final, Windsor’s Jamie Lewis would net one more for the home team at the 17:25 mark of the final frame.
The Storm will look to continue their offensive prowess in Kitchener on Friday night. Looking at the 2014-15 Highway Seven rivalry, the home team has not lost a match-up. The puck is slated to drop at 7pm.
GAME NOTES
- With a goal and an assist in the contest, Jason Dickinson extended his point streak to seven games compiling three goals and seven assists over the stretch.
- Robby Fabbri and Luke Cairns both recorded hat tricks in Thursday’s game, registering five points each on the night.
- Former Spitfire Chris Marchese also posted a five-point night with a goal and four assists in the win.
- Combined, Fabbri, Cairns, and Marchese totaled for 15 points.
- The Storm scored six consecutive goals in the span of 10:37 in the second period.
- Thursday’s match-up was the fourth and final meeting between the Storm and the Spitfires. Guelph swept the season series, winning all four contests.
- Spitfires captain Patrick Sanvido is a native of Guelph.
- The Storm are back in action on Friday night as they visit the Kitchener Rangers for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop.
Guelph Storm 9 at Windsor Spitfires 3 — Status: End of Game
Thursday, March 12, 2015 — WFCU Centre
Guelph 1 6 2 – 9
Windsor 1 0 2 – 3
1st Period – 1, Windsor, DiGiacinto 21 (Venuto, Chatfield), 11:11 (PP). 2, Guelph, Cairns 14 (Fabbri, Marchese, 16:30.
Penalties – Tetrault Gue (delay of game), 10:09; Rhodes Gue (interference), 13:15; Carroll Gue (delay of game), 18:30.
2nd Period – 3, Guelph, Marchese 16 (Baltisberger, McFadden), 7:23 (PP). 4, Guelph, Fabbri 19 (Cairns, Rhodes), 9:35. 5, Guelph, Fabbri 20 (Cairns), 10:33. 6, Guelph, Cairns 15 (Marchese), 12:57. 7, Guelph, Cairns 16 (Marchese, Fabbri), 14:21 (PP). 8, Guelph, Bertuzzi 42 (Dickinson), 18:00.
Penalties – Sanvido Wsr (hooking), 6:50; Hill Gue (fighting, game misc-fight prior to or at puck drop), 12:57; Brown Wsr (cross checking, misc-usc), 12:57; Stanley Wsr (fighting, game mis-fight prior to or at puck drop), 12:57.
3rd Period – 9, Windsor, Venuto 21 (Lewis), 4:14. 10, Guelph, Fabbri 21 (Marchese), 13:57. 11, Guelph, Dickinson 25 (Bertuzzi), 15:28. 12, Windsor, Lewis 17 (Doggett, Venuto), 17:25 (PP).
Penalties – DiGiacinto Wsr (inter. on goaltender), 0:51; Rhodes Gue (roughing), 7:29; DiGiacinto Wsr (slashing), 7:29; McCool Wsr (roughing), 7:29; Chatfield Wsr (delay of game), 8:16; Stefano Wsr (roughing), 10:52; Fabbri Gue (roughing), 11:50; Rhodes Gue (holding), 16:43.
Shots on Goal – Guelph 12-26-13-51. Windsor 11-11-14-36
Power Play Opportunities – Guelph 2/6; Windsor 2/5.
Goalies – Guelph, Nichols 32-18-2-1 (36 shots-33 saves). Windsor, Johnston 12-12-2-2 (43 shots-37 saves); Fotinos 12-23-0-0 (8 shots-5 saves).
A-4,826
Referees-Joe Celestin (4), Joe Monette (25).
Linesmen-Dustin McCrank (68), Geoff Rutherford (62).
